Mahoney savors victory
A day after handily winning the Democratic nomination for the 51st Legislative District, Uniontown businessman Timothy S. Mahoney said Wednesday that he believes his convincing victory showed that people want change. “I think people are ready for a change in this area and are looking for strong leadership,” Mahoney said. “I think we worked harder and ran a positive campaign on the issues and facts, and the people understood.”
Mahoney bested Fayette County Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites by more than 1,000 votes and 14 percentage points, according to unofficial election results.
During the campaign, Mahoney assailed Vicites’ record during his decade as a commissioner and Mahoney said the voters did not need a career politician. In advertisements and during debates, Mahoney reminded voters that Vicites raised taxes 60 percent in one year alone and was the highest-taxing commissioner in Fayette County history.
Vicites repeatedly said during the campaign that he was not going to be negative and instead touted his accomplishments in office, such as bringing jobs, state and federal grant funding and businesses to the area.
The third Democratic candidate seeking to fill the seat being vacated by the retirement of state Rep. Larry Roberts, D-South Union, businessman Gary Gearing, finished nearly 1,000 votes behind Vicites and more than 2,000 votes behind Mahoney.
Mahoney also was critical of Gearing, who owns the Fayette Building in downtown Uniontown and does not pay taxes on the building because it is in the Keystone Opportunity Zone.
When all 34 precincts in the district were counted, Mahoney received 47 percent of the vote total with 3,560 votes, compared to 33 percent for Vicites, who got 2,502 votes, and 20 percent for Gearing, who got 1,521 votes, according to unofficial election results that listed voter turnout at 30 percent.
Mahoney said he was slightly surprised of the margin of victory but added that his campaign team worked really hard. He said they also registered 800 new voters for the primary.
“We just outworked them,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney, 49, said as he gears up for the fall contest, his top priority will continue to be open records and trying to get tax burden off of property owners.
In addition to his no-nonsense platform, Mahoney said he believes the endorsements he received from the Teamsters, the United Mine Workers of American, the transit workers, the teachers union, ABATE and U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, helped tremendously.
“I just think people are ready to let businesspeople start running government. We need accountability,” Mahoney said. “We’re bringing the Democratic Party back together in Fayette County now. I think it’s going to be strong again … We brought the truth.”
Mahoney said if he wins the general election, he wouldn’t make deals that don’t help the 51st District. “The difference between me and somebody else is that I don’t need the job. I don’t want to make (personal) deals, I just want to make deals with the 51st District,” Mahoney said.
Neither Vicites nor Gearing returned calls seeking comment.
Mahoney will square off against Republican nominee John “Sonny” Mikita in the fall election. Mikita, 36, easily defeated Harry F. Hughes Jr., 75, by receiving 1,357 votes compared to 779 votes for Hughes, according to unofficial election results of the 34 precincts in the district.
Mikita said Wednesday he was disappointed in the low voter turnout, but pleased with results of his race. Mikita said he believes his strong message of having answers to the state’s problems such as high corporate tax, property taxes and lobbyist disclosure were what resonated with Republican voters who took to the polls.
“I ran an issues-based campaign, a strong campaign and a positive campaign,” Mikita said. Mikita only deviated from a positive campaign after Hughes said on a local talk radio show that the Democratic Party chairman and Mahoney put Mikita into the race. Mikita said the accusation was untrue and a desperate act by Hughes. “Sometimes you have to show strength or you shouldn’t be in Harrisburg,” Mikita said.
Mikita said he is preparing for the upcoming campaign, and welcomed anyone who wants better government to join his team. “I will be committed to open records,” Mikita said. “I’ll be a broken record until we get open records.”